


Blankets

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [185]
Category: The Martian - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Gen, back on Hermes, first Martian piece I ever wrote
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 10:52:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8053516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: When Mark gets back onto the Hermes, he's exactly the type of person you just want to wrap up in blankets and keep safe. The crew agrees.





	Blankets

**Author's Note:**

> This is yet another piece from Tumblr.
> 
> Mark has just been rescued here. No real warnings.

The first one who gets to worry over him, once their not-full contact almost-group-hug breaks up, is Beck, who half-drags Mark to his sick bay, miraculously still standing, considering they destroyed half the ship.

He pulls and cuts Mark out of his clothes, and Beck is a good doctor, caring and kind, no one has ever had any reason to complain. And maybe Mars has warped Mark’s memory, but he never remembers him being so damn gentle before, like Mark might break.

Once they both get a look at him, undressed completely–he could have left his underwear on, but honestly, it’s beyond ruined, and he just wants Mars gone and off of him entirely–Mark has to admit that maybe Beck has a point. He does look pretty breakable.

Beck cleans him up, wraps him up, listens to his heart and lungs and takes his blood pressure, and starts shoving vitamins and supplements at him. Antibiotics are next, with strict orders that he’s taking all of the above for the near future. Finally, he’s allowed to shower, and he can’t lift his arms–what with his ribs basically being broken like matchsticks, after facing twelve Gs–so Beck helps him, and Mark can’t believe how _good_  hands feel on his skin.

Once he’s clean and smelling better, he’s allowed to dress, which hurts like a motherfucker but makes him feel more human at least. Human. Mark hasn’t had to interact with humans in eighteen months. It’s going to take a little while, to remember how.

Fortunately, the crew seems eager to remind him.

Beck seriously debates confining him to bed, but relents and says Mark can come to the rec, as long as he stays on a couch, doesn’t get over-excited, and eats what he’s given. He agrees.

Johanssen throws a blanket over his shoulders as soon as he sits, and Mark knows without asking it’s off her own bunk, the standard blanket they’re all given. He refuses to tear up like he wants to, but pulls it tight around him. Vogel immediately sets to making him food. He’s only getting a half a ration, while they work on building his stomach back up, but it’s more than he’s had in so long, a ridiculous amount more, that he _does_  tear up a bit at seeing it. Beck says again that it’s his goal to get him up to double rations until he gains his weight back, and Lewis immediately says the crew will cut down so that can happen.

Mark eats slowly, mindful enough to know going faster will just cause him to vomit up a perfectly good ration. It’s the same as what he’s been eating on Mars, really, only there’s more of it, and he knows it won’t run out, that they’re headed home and there’s enough food, more than enough, to get them there.

When he’s eaten as much as he can and Johanssen’s swept his dishes away before returning to sit on the armrest of his couch, Mark looks to Martinez. His rival in joking and light-heartedness, Mark’s hoping for a joke. Anything, to lighten the mood.

Martinez doesn’t disappoint. “You’ll be happy to know we got all kinds of music onboard,” he says. “But since you left the Commander’s data stick on Mars, no more disco.”

Well. That’s worth a smile. 

“What d’you want to do, Mark?” Martinez presses. “You missed a lot of TV.”

“He needs to sleep,” Beck interjects.

Mark nods. Beck’s right, and he knows it. The adrenaline, the nearly dying half a dozen times today alone, it’s all taking its toll, and his body needs to rest. More than that, it needs rest so it can start to recuperate long-term, realize that the stress reactions are over.

“We’ll be here when you wake up,” Lewis promises, and sure enough, the entire crew sits down. Mark never thought people watching him sleep would be welcome.

Vogel gets up, then immediately returns, draping another blanket over Mark. Mark thinks he feels him tuck it in on the side, perhaps like he does for his kids, but he’s so close to falling asleep, he honestly can’t be sure.


End file.
